"France would be pleased to sell anything to anyone anywhere."
Yes, France holds commerce and free trade dear.
It's a matter of national security for both sides. The UK shouldn't trust the US with their national security and the US shouldn't trust the Europeans.
We must have an override button in case the Europeans try to use American technology in South America.
We don't need to make $12 billion on military technology. We give billions more away in foreign handouts everyday.